Book Review: “You Are Mine” by Janeal Falor

Book Review: YOU ARE MINE

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Title: You Are Mine

Author: Janeal Falor

It sounds so grim. And, in many ways, it is. But this is also a story about hope, healing, and redemption.

Serena was emotionally and verbally abused since childhood. In her world, women had no rights. No voice. Serena was a “mistake”; the first of fifteen mistakes, actually. Her father wanted a son, and so he sold Serena to the highest bidder the moment she was of marriageable age. Because Serena had a lot of magic in her blood, her new owner was a man of prestige and wealth, but he was also just as cruel as her father. However, an unexpected turn of events left her fiancé dead, and Serena unwillingly transferred to the ownership of a foreign barbarian named Zade. A barbarian her father despises, and everyone distrusts. A barbarian who, she slowly realises, is kinder and more humane than any man she has ever met.

Janeal Falor’s “You Are Mine” will take you into a world of brokenness and atrocities hardly imaginable. Yet it is also a journey into hope and inner healing. It will leave you wondering, “How much of this book is based on reality?” And as you ask that question, you may also ask yourself, “Do I have the same courage to help victims like Serena find dignity?”

I picked this book up with a little trepidation, worried that the darkness might be too much. I was pleasantly surprised to find the light winning… even if only one life at a time. It is fairly well written, and I enjoyed it to the end.

Snyder Sarah

Review by Sarah Synder

Prompt Part 2: This is My World…

Pen Friends ~ Here is Part Two of the Dual POV Prompt Reply: This is my world… Enjoy the stories! Thanks to all who participated!

Teen Writer, Lily Gooch’s Prompt Reply:

This is my world. It’s beautiful here, but too quiet now. I hate all the stillness. There’s no one to talk to and I think too much. I can’t help but remember why it’s so quiet here. I don’t want to remember how they all died, but I do–silent blood paints the walls of the palace.

I’d give anything to live somewhere that wasn’t so sad. Words can’t express how much. Somewhere where noise would distract my mind. Where I could drown the memories in music. Somewhere where I could finally get peace.

Hilary Bowen’s Prompt:

This is my world. Prince Ferris sighed, gazed out the stained glass windows of the school spire, and wished for the umpteenth time that he was the one out on the spines of the Rhadrize instead of here memorizing history and lists of policy. It wasn’t fair that she, (in his better moments he referred to her as Kat—but today, stuck inside when the spring sun beckoned—was not one of his better moments) Master Philomius lectured on. Sneezing briefly ever so often when dust from the tomes and scrolls wafted up into his beak of a proboscis.

Ferris let his thoughts wonder. Up the twisting winding paths, past fern growth and pines out into the thin, clear air of the top of the spine. From the window the mountains were a range of blue and purple hues. Up close they pulsed in a variety of grey, greens, browns, almost every shade imaginable.

And he was stuck in here. He bet he could find what she was looking for. In fact, what if they traded places. She could study boring politics and he could go hunt for that treasure. She would be the one to rule Mid’Arch anyway.

“Prince Ferris. PRINCE Ferris!” Master Philomius’ voice was considerably louder the second time and it jerked Ferris back into the library.

Kris D Keith’s Prompt:

This is my world, and I must save it. I awoke this morning knowing I must meet her, as the Seer predicted. But I fought my future. I helped mother prepare bread for supper. I helped Alana with her washing, ignoring the other boys who laughed at me for doing a womanly task. I wandered, not knowing where I went but knowing I didn’t want to end up here, at the Grand Falls.

“What are you looking at?” I say to her, not knowing or caring if she’d understand.

“You’re eyes,” she says, not the least bit afraid, “they’re red.”

Rebecca Henry’s Prompt:

This is my world…I thought as I grinned up at the wisps of clouds, lit up by the moons. The iridescent glow gleamed green as I raced across the still wet grass and under the low hanging branches, only skidding to a stop at the edge of the river. Pebbles scattered like diamonds at my feet and tinkled into the glassy water.

I glanced back behind me with a mischievous grin.

My hands broke into the surface of the water until I held a firm grip on a vine of kelp. With a whoop, I threw myself into the river and let the current carry me speeding forward toward the edge.

This was always my favorite part, the feeling of being swallowed by nothingness, the freedom of flying through the air. I tipped over the brink of the waterfall and plunged into the empty abandon of space.

Here the rules of gravity were broken, for only the water would spin back and travel against the underside of the earth. Everything else: fallen leaves, loose pebbles, and perhaps a wayward wild child like me, dropped into the darkness. Most were never seen again.

But, just as the gust of cold air gripped at my lungs, its frozen fingers trying to claim me, the rope of river kelp bounced me back to reality.

I shook the spray of water from my face as I settled back onto the riverbank and held the rope out to him.

“It’s your turn.”

 

How To Super-Charge Your Story With Energizing Word Sprints

Mondays.

We all have them. They’re those days when it’s hard to even drag yourself out of bed, much less write all the words you know you need to write.

Sometimes, ‘Mondays’ don’t even show up on Mondays. But you know them when they come creeping up on you. So, how do we fight them? By exercising our creativity, even if it’s against our will at first.  Continue reading

The Spinning Pen Girl in a Cafe & Her Weekend Advice

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This lovely depiction of the Spinning Pen Girl is done by Artist and Writer Wesley O’Bryan. Check that talented guy out here, and some of his SP posts here and here.

As you know, the Spinning Pen Girl always searches for amazing writing resources and loves sharing them with you. Today she wants you to click here for Ally Carter‘s long list of amazing articles on writing for writers.

Happy Weekend Writing!

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SP writer, Nova signing off.

 

 

The North Texas Teen Book Festival: 2017

endless signIf you ever doubt that today’s youth are into reading, all you need to do to is attend a book festival like this last weekend, where over ten thousand teens from all over Texas came to hear their favorite authors, ask them questions ranging from what inspires them to how they come up with their complex plots; sign hundreds of books, get the latest on booktubing from the pros, win prizes, buy swag, and of course, hear the answer to that age-old question: Can I be a writer, too?

Continue reading

Editor Talk: With Tara Creel & Write On Editing

Pen Friends ~ Today we have more insightful Editor Talk with professional editor Tara Creel, as she shares her insight into editing, publishing, and getting it right!

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SP: Welcome Tara! Can you tell us a bit of who are you and how long have you worked as an editor?  

I’m Tara Creel. I’ve worked as an editor for Month9Books/Tantrum Books for almost four years now. I have also been doing freelance editing on the side, but have recently launched a freelance editing business with Michelle Millet called Write On Editing. Continue reading

Writing A Novel That Sells Workshop

Pen Friends ~ At the Spinning Pen, we take our writing seriously, but all of us are also hopelessly infected with wanderlust. So when we learned that editor and multi-published authors Lorie Langdon and Heather Webb  put the two together, (in the dreamy setting of Ireland no less) we couldn’t resist!

A writing workshop and an international adventure with two established authors, you say?

It gets better: Continue reading